Bargains in the aisles and the vanity of youth gave retailers stronger spring sales than expected in the economy’s deepening slump.

Soaring gas and food prices sent more shoppers to big discounters Wal-Mart and Costco, which yesterday beat analysts’ expectations for April sales, helping push the industry’s sales 3.6 higher – the best pace in nearly a year.

With the advent of warm weather, teen retailers showed gains nearly twice as large as the industry, gaining 6.4 percent overall, said a report from the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Saks Inc. said its receipts jumped 24 percent, helped by markdowns of as much as 40 percent and a surge of foreign tourists in New York in search of luxury goods priced in historically weak greenbacks.

Gap, the largest US clothing retailer, said same-store sales dropped 6 percent, more than double some forecasts of a 2.3 percent decline. Sales at Limited Brands fell 5 percent, twice the expected results.

The rebound convinced some economists that the economy is faring much better than some had believed. About two-thirds of the retailers reporting their results yesterday said sales were better than analysts had expected.

Some analysts cautioned that rising inflation could account for some of the volume of higher sales.